Bonding washer

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides descriptions of configurations for bonding washers used to facilitate the electrical bonding of metal structures. The bonding washer includes an electrically conductive body and at least one piercing member extending from a bottom surface of the body. An extended member extends from the electrically conductive body in a direction away from the bottom surface of the body.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present disclosure is based on and claims benefit from co-pendingU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/751,900 filed on Oct.29, 2018 entitled “Bonding Washer” the contents of which areincorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates generally to bonding washers, and moreparticularly to bonding washers used to create an electricallyconductive path between a wire termination and a metal structure coatedwith a non-conductive material.

Description of the Related Art

Metal structures used to house electrical equipment and devices areoften coated with non-conductive material which provides protection fromunwanted transfer of electricity or heat, or protection fromenvironmental conditions. For example, a data center ortelecommunication rack or enclosure, which is typically a metalstructure, may be coated with a non-conductive material to provide suchprotection. Often, local electrical codes require such metal structuresto be bonded as a safety measure. To bond such metal structure, thenon-conductive coating has to be removed in order to create anelectrically conductive path between the electrical conductor and themetal structure. Typically, a technician would have to remove thenon-conductive coating by sanding or grinding the non-conductive coatinguntil bare metal is exposed. However, it is a time-consuming process tocarefully remove such coating. Further, if an insufficient amount ofcoating is removed, an electrically conductive path may not be created.This problem is exacerbated by the fact that there may be large numbersof racks or enclosures as is the case in a data center. As a result, thecost and time taken to bond and ground each rack or enclosure can besignificant since it would be time consuming to manually remove thenon-conductive coating from enclosure or rack.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides descriptions of embodiments for bondingwashers used to facilitate electrical bonding of metal structureswithout the need to grind or sand non-conductive coatings to expose baremetal. In one exemplary embodiment, the bonding washer includes anelectrically conductive body having a top surface, a bottom surface, afastener receiving member, e.g., an aperture, for receiving a mountingfastener, at least one electrically conductive piercing member extendingfrom the bottom surface of the body, and an extended member extendingfrom the electrically conductive body in a direction opposite the atleast one piercing member. The electrically conductive body can besubstantially planar. In another exemplary embodiment, the bondingwasher includes an electrically conductive body having a top surface anda bottom surface, a plurality of electrically conductive piercingmembers extending from the bottom surface of the body, a plurality ofelectrically conductive gripping members extending from the top surfaceof the body, and an extended member extending from the electricallyconductive body in a direction away opposite the plurality of piercingmembers.

In one exemplary embodiment, the extended member extends from one end ofthe electrically conductive body. In another exemplary embodiment, eachof the plurality of piercing members is a single tooth. In someembodiments, the single tooth has a serrated distal end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. Oneskilled in the art will readily recognize from the following descriptionthat alternative embodiments of the structures illustrated herein may beemployed without departing from the principles described herein,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of abonding washer according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the bonding washer of FIG. 1,illustrating one or more piercing members extending from a surface ofthe bonding washer;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bonding washer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the bonding washer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bonding washer of FIG. 4taken along line 5-5, illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a piercingmember used to pierce non-conductive coatings on metal structures toestablish an electrically conductive path between the bonding washer andthe metal structures;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bonding washer similarto FIG. 5, illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a piercingmember according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view, with the parts separated, of anexemplary embodiment of the bonding washer of FIG. 1, illustrating awire termination and a metal structure having an outer surface coatedwith a non-conductive material;

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the bonding washer, wiretermination and metal structure of FIG. 7, with the wire termination andbonding washer connected to the metal structure;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wire termination,bonding washer and metal structure of FIG. 8 taken along line 9-9,illustrating the piercing member piercing the non-conductive coating onthe metal structure;

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the bonding washer of FIG. 10,illustrating one or more piercing members extending from a first surfaceof the bonding washer and one or more gripping members extending from asecond surface of the bonding washer;

FIG. 11a is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer similar to FIG. 10, illustrating a duplex bondingwasher structure that can be folded over to form a single bonding washerwith one or more piercing members extending in a first direction and oneor more gripping members extending in a second direction;

FIG. 11b is a top perspective view of the bonding washer of FIG. 11a ,illustrating one side of the duplex bonding washer structure folded overto form a single bonding washer;

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the bonding washer of FIG. 10and a wire termination connected to a metal structure having an outersurface coated with a non-conductive material;

FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wire termination,bonding washer and metal structure of FIG. 12 taken along line 13-13,illustrating a piercing member piercing the non-conductive coating onthe metal structure and a gripping member engaging the wire termination;

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer according to the present disclosure, illustrating aduplex bonding washer structure with one or more breakaway segments;

FIG. 14a is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer according to the present disclosure, illustrating aduplex bonding washer structure with one or more breakaway segments;

FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the bonding washer of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the bonding washer of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the bonding washer of FIG. 14and a wire termination connected to a metal structure having an outersurface coated with a non-conductive material;

FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer according to the present disclosure, illustrating aduplex bonding washer structure with one or more breakaway segments, andillustrating each bonding washer portion having one or more piercingmembers extending from a first surface of the respective bonding washerportion and one or more gripping member extending from a second surfaceof the of the respective bonding washer portion;

FIG. 19 is a bottom perspective view of the bonding washer of FIG. 18and a wire termination connected to a metal structure having an outersurface coated with a non-conductive material;

FIG. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wire termination,bonding washer and metal structure of FIG. 19 taken along line 20-20,illustrating a piercing member piercing the non-conductive coating onthe metal structure and a gripping member engaging the wire termination;

FIG. 21 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer according to the present disclosure, illustrating oneor more piercing members extending from a surface of the bonding washer;

FIG. 22 is a bottom perspective view of the bonding washer of FIG. 21and a wire termination connected to a metal structure having an outersurface coated with a non-conductive material;

FIG. 23 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wire termination,bonding washer and metal structure of FIG. 22 taken along line 23-23,illustrating a piercing member piercing the non-conductive coating onthe metal structure;

FIG. 24 is a bottom perspective view of another exemplary embodiment ofa bonding washer according to the present disclosure, illustrating oneor more piercing members extending from a first surface of the bondingwasher and one or more gripping members extending from a second surfaceof the bonding washer;

FIG. 25 is a bottom perspective view of the bonding washer of FIG. 24and a wire termination connected to a metal structure having an outersurface coated with a non-conductive material; and

FIG. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view of the of the wiretermination, bonding washer and metal structure of FIG. 25 taken alongline 26-26, illustrating a piercing member piercing the non-conductivecoating on the metal structure and a gripping member engaging the wiretermination.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides descriptions of embodiments for bondingwashers used to facilitate an electrical bond between an electricallyconductive element and a metal structure that is coated with anon-conductive material. The electrically conductive elementscontemplated by the present disclosure include, but are not limited to,elements used to attach an electrical bonding conductor to a metalstructure. For example, the electrically conductive elements includewire terminations such as lugs, ferrules, and dead ends. For ease ofdescription, the electrically conductive elements may also be referredto herein as the “wire terminations” in the plural and the “wiretermination” in the singular. The metal structures contemplated by thepresent disclosure include, but are not limited to, metal housing, metalenclosures, metal racks, metal cabinets, metal posts and fencing. Forease of description, the metal structures may also be referred to hereinas the “structures” in the plural and the “structure” in the singular.The non-conductive materials coated on the structures contemplated bythe present disclosure include, but are not limited to, oxide, paint,anodization, powder coating, epoxy, and enamels. For ease ofdescription, the coating of non-conductive material may also be referredto herein as the “coatings” in the plural and the “coating” in thesingular. This specification and the accompanying drawings are to beregarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.Various modifications may be made thereto without departing from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an exemplary embodiment of a bonding washeraccording to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the bonding washer 10 includes an electrically conductivebody 12 having a top surface 12 a, a bottom surface 12 b, an aperture 14for receiving a mounting fastener, and one or more piercing members 16and one or more extending members 18. The body 12 can be in any shape orsize. For example, the body 12 shown in FIGS. 1-4 may be substantiallyplanar with a predetermined thickness “T1” which can vary for eachbonding washer 10. The predetermined thickness “T1” depends at least inpart on the size of the wire termination, the coating thickness and/orthe anticipated or rated current the electrically conductive path is tocarry. As a non-limiting example, the thickness “T1” may be in the rangefrom about 0.125 mm to about 1.0 mm. The body 12 is made of a materialthat provides sufficient structural rigidity to establish and maintainan electrically conductive path between a wire termination, e.g., wiretermination 100 and a structure, e.g., structure 300 seen in FIG. 7.Non-limiting examples of the body material include stainless steel orother conductive steel, aluminum and/or aluminum alloy.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, each piercing member 16 forms a tooth likestructure or what is sometimes called in the industry a “volcano.” Eachpiercing member 16 is capable of cutting through or piercingnon-conductive coatings on the structure 300. For example, the piercingmember 16 can be a raised surface 16 a extending from the bottom surface12 b of the body 12. Such raised surface 16 a that includes an aperture16 b having sharp edges surrounding the aperture 16 b enables eachpiercing member 16 to be capable of cutting through or piercingnon-conductive coatings on the structure 300. Each piercing member 16can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth or structure, seen forexample in FIGS. 1 and 5, that is capable of cutting through or piercingthe non-conductive coating on the structure 300. In another exemplaryembodiment, each piercing member 16 can be a unitary circular or othershaped tooth or structure having a serrated distal edge 17, seen in FIG.6, that is also capable of cutting through or piercing thenon-conductive coatings on the structure 300. The piercing members 16can be extruded from the body 12, or piercing members 16 can be securedto the body 12 by for example a welded joint. In another exemplaryembodiment, the piercing members 16 are also capable of limiting andpossibly preventing the wire termination 100 and/or bonding washer 10from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensure that thepiercing members 16 pierce or cut through the coating on the structure300 to establish or create a sufficient electrically conductive pathbetween the wire termination 100 and the structure 300 to facilitateelectrically bonding to the structure 300. For example, as the piercingmember 16 pierces the coating on the structure 300 to contact and engagethe metal surface of the structure 300, the piercing members 16partially or entirely burrow into the metal surface of the structure 300causing the bonding washer 10 to be fixed to the metal structure 300 soas to limit or possibly preventing rotation of the bonding washer 10relative to the metal structure 300. In this exemplary embodiment, theone or more piercing members 16 are disposed at each corner of the body12 and extend from the bottom surface 12 b of the body 12. However, thepiercing members 16 may be disposed, placed or arranged on the body 12in any position suitable to pierce the coating on the structure 300, andestablish and maintain an electrically conductive path between thepiercing members 16 and the metal of the structure 300. While the abovedescribed embodiment shows more than one piercing member 16 used to cutthrough or pierce the coating on the outer surface of the structure, oneskilled in the art would readily recognize the one piercing member 16may be positioned to pierce the non-conductive coating 302 b, seen inFIG. 9, on the mounting portion 302.

The one or more extending members 18 extend from one or more ends of thebody 12 and are provided to limit and possibly prevent rotation of thewire termination 100 and/or the bonding washer 10 relative to thestructure 300 when securing the wire termination 100 and bonding washer10 to the structure 300. In the embodiment shown, there is one extendingmember 18 extending from one end of the body 12. However, one skilled inthe art would readily appreciate that a second extending member 18 mayextend from another end of the body 12. Limiting the rotation of thewire termination 100 and/or the bonding washer 10 relative to thestructure 300 helps to ensure that the piercing members 16 pierce or cutthrough the coating on the structure 300 to establish or create asufficient electrically conductive path between the wire termination 100and the metal of the structure 300 to facilitate electrically bondingthe structure 300. In one embodiment, the extended member 18 extendsoutward from the body 12 in a direction that is substantially oppositefrom the direction the piercing members 16 extend from the body 12. Theextended member 18 may be any shape or size. For example, the extendedmember 18 may be substantially rectangular in shape. The extended member18 can have a height “H” seen in FIG. 4, which is the length thatextended member 18 extends away from the body 12. As a non-limitingexample, the height “H” may be equal to or greater than the thickness“T1” of the body 12 or the thickness of the wire termination 100. Theextended member 18 can be integrally or monolithically formed to thebody 12, or the extended member 18 can be secured to the body 12 by forexample a welded joint. The extended member 18 may include a bend 18 a.As seen in FIG. 4, the bend angle “α” of the bend 18 a may be in therange of about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees, but other bend angle maybe used.

Turning to FIGS. 7-9, connecting the bonding washer 10 of the presentdisclosure to a wire termination 100 and structure 300 to establish anelectrically conductive path therebetween will be described. In thisexemplary embodiment, the wire termination 100 is a lug. To establishthe electrically conductive path to facilitate electrical bonding of thestructure 300, an electrical conductor 200 is crimped or otherwisesecured to a barrel of wire termination 100 or lug as is known. Examplesof electrical conductors include stranded wire, solid wire, wire braidsand bus bars. The blade portion 100 b of the lug 100, which includes anaperture 100 a configured to receive a mounting fastener, e.g., nut andbolt, rivets, etc., is used to secure the wire termination 100 or lugand the bonding washer 10 to the structure 300. The conductor or wire200 can be of different gauges depending upon the anticipated or ratedcurrent the electrically conductive path is to carry. As such,conductors 200 having a smaller gauge may permit the use of a smallerwire termination 100, while conductors 200 having a greater gauge maynecessitate the use of a larger wire termination 100.

In this exemplary embodiment, the structure 300 includes a mountingportion 302 on which the bonding washer 10 rests. The mounting portion302 includes an aperture 302 a configured to receive a mountingfastener, e.g., nut and bolt, rivets, etc., used to secure the wiretermination 100 and bonding washer 10 to the mounting portion 302. Themetal portion or the electrically conductive portion 302 c of themounting portion 302 of the structure 300 is covered by a non-conductivecoating 302 b.

To secure the wire termination 100, here a lug, and the bonding washer10 to the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300, a bolt 406 ispassed through the aperture 302 a in the mounting portion 302, throughthe aperture 14 in the body 12 of the bonding washer 10, and through theaperture 100 a in the lug 100. A nut 400 is then attached to the bolt406 and tightened to secure the lug 100 and the bonding washer 10 to themounting portion 302 of the structure 300, as shown in FIG. 8. In anexemplary embodiment, a first washer 402, e.g., a flat washer, and/or asecond washer 404, e.g., a lock washer, can be placed between the nut400 and the lug 100 to provide a better connection between the lug 100and the structure 300. As shown in FIG. 9, when the nut 400 and bolt 406are tightened, each piercing member 16 cuts through or pierces thenon-conductive coating 302 b on the outer surface of the mountingportion 302 so that an electrically conductive path is establishedbetween the conductive metal 302 c of the mounting portion 302 of thestructure 300 and the bonding washer 10. As a result, an electricallyconductive path is also established between the conductive metal 302 cof the mounting portion 302 and the lug 100 such that current may flowfrom the structure 300 through the bonding washer 10, through the lug100 to the conductor 200. As noted above, when tightening the nut 400 tothe bolt 406, an edge of the lug 100 may contact the extending member 18of the bonding washer 10 which then limits or possibly prevents the lug100 and/or bonding washer 10 from rotating relative to the structure 300so as to ensure that the piercing members 16 pierce or cut through thecoating on the structure 300 to establish or create a sufficientelectrically conductive path between the wire termination, here the lug100, and the structure 300. As discussed previously, the piercingmembers 16 may also limit and possibly prevent rotation of the bondingwasher 10 relative to the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300.More specifically, as the piercing members 16 cut through or pierce thenon-conductive coating 302 b on the outer surface of the mountingportion 302, the piercing members 16 partially or entirely burrow intothe conductive metal 302 c causing the bonding washer 10 to be fixed inposition relative to the structure 300 so as to limit or possiblyprevent rotation of the bonding washer 10 relative to the mountingportion 302.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, another exemplary embodiment of a bondingwasher according to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the bonding washer 20 is substantially the same as thebonding washer 10 described above, except that gripping members 22 areadded to the top surface 12 a of the body 12 as described below. Morespecifically, the body portion 12 includes one or more gripping members22 extending from the top surface 12 a. Each gripping member 22 iscapable of cutting into or burrowing into the wire termination 100 tolimit or possibly prevent the wire termination and/or the bonding washer20 from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensure that thepiercing members 16 pierce or cut through the coating on the structure300 to establish or create a sufficient electrically conductive pathbetween the wire termination 100 and the structure 300 to facilitateelectrical bonding of the structure 300. Each gripping member 22 mayalso pierce through any non-conductive coatings on the wire termination100 similar to how the piercing members 16 pierce through thenon-conductive coatings on the structure 300. Each gripping member 22can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth or structure, seen forexample in FIGS. 10 and 13, that is capable of cutting into or burrowinginto the wire termination 100, and cutting through or piercing thenon-conductive coating, similar to the non-conductive coating 302 bshown in FIG. 13, on the wire termination 100. In another exemplaryembodiment, each gripping member 22 can be a unitary circular or othershaped tooth or structure having a serrated distal edge, similar to thedistal edge 17 seen in FIG. 6, that is also capable of cutting into orburrowing into the wire termination 100 and cutting through or piercingthe non-conductive coating on the wire termination 100. The grippingmembers 22 can be extruded from the body 12, or the gripping members 22can be secured to the body 12 by for example a welded joint. It is notedthat in the embodiment shown, the apertures 16 b of the piercing members16 are aligned with respective apertures 22 b of the gripping members22. One skilled in the art would readily appreciate that the apertures16 b of the piercing members 16 may not be aligned with the apertures 22b of the gripping members 22. In the exemplary embodiment shown, thegripping members 22 are disposed at each corner of the top surface 12 aof the body 12. However, the gripping members 22 may be disposed, placedor arranged on the body 12 in any position suitable to burrow into thewire termination 100 or lug, and limit and possibly prevent rotationalmovement of the wire termination 100 and/or bonding washer 20 relativeto the structure 300.

Referring to FIGS. 11a and 11b , another exemplary embodiment of abonding washer that is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11 isshown. In this exemplary embodiment, the bonding washer 20 issubstantially the same as the bonding washer 10 described above, exceptthat gripping members 22 are added to a second body 13 that is joined tothe body 12 via a foldable joint 19. More specifically, the second bodyportion 13 includes one or more gripping members 22 extending from thebottom surface 13 b. When the second body 13 is folded relative to thebody 12, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 11b , the one or more grippingmembers 22 face in a direction opposite the direction the piercingmembers 16 face. Each gripping member 22 is capable of cutting into orburrowing into the wire termination 100 to limit or possibly prevent thewire termination and/or the bonding washer 20 from rotating relative tothe structure 300 so as to ensure that the piercing members 16 extendingfrom the bottom surface 12 b of the body 12 pierce or cut through thecoating on the structure 300 to establish or create a sufficientelectrically conductive path between the wire termination 100 and thestructure 300 to facilitate electrical bonding of the structure 300.Each gripping member 22 may also pierce through any non-conductivecoatings on the wire termination 100 similar to how the piercing members16 pierce through the non-conductive coatings on the structure 300. Eachgripping member 22 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth orstructure, seen for example in FIG. 11a , that is capable of cuttinginto or burrowing into the wire termination 100, and cutting through orpiercing the non-conductive coating, similar to the non-conductivecoating 302 b shown in FIG. 13, on the wire termination 100. In anotherexemplary embodiment, each gripping member 22 can be a unitary circularor other shaped tooth or structure having a serrated distal edge,similar to the distal edge 17 seen in FIG. 6, that is also capable ofcutting into or burrowing into the wire termination 100 and cuttingthrough or piercing the non-conductive coating on the wire termination100. The gripping members 22 can be extruded from the body 12, or thegripping members 22 can be secured to the body 12 by for example awelded joint. It is noted that in the embodiment shown, the apertures 16b of the piercing members 16 are aligned with respective apertures 22 bof the gripping members 22. One skilled in the art would readilyappreciate that the apertures 16 b of the piercing members 16 may not bealigned with the apertures 22 b of the gripping members 22. In theexemplary embodiment shown, the gripping members 22 are disposed at eachcorner of the top surface 12 a of the body 12. However, the grippingmembers 22 may be disposed, placed or arranged on the body 12 in anyposition suitable to burrow into the wire termination 100 or lug, andlimit and possibly prevent rotational movement of the wire termination100 and/or bonding washer 20 relative to the structure 300.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, connecting the bonding washer 20 of thepresent disclosure to a wire termination 100 and structure 300 toestablish an electrically conductive path therebetween is similar tothat described above for bonding washer 10 and for ease of descriptionis not repeated. However, in this exemplary embodiment, when the nut 400and bolt 406 are tightened, each gripping member 22 cuts into or burrowsinto the blade portion 100 b of the wire termination 100 or lug to limitor possibly prevent the wire termination 100, and/or the bonding washer20 from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensure that thepiercing members 16 pierce or cut through the coating 302 b on themounting portion 302 of the structure 300 to establish or create asufficient electrically conductive path between the wire termination 100and the metal of the structure 300 to facilitate electrical bonding ofthe structure 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 14 a-17, additional exemplary embodimentof a bonding washer according to the present disclosure is shown. In theexemplary embodiment of FIGS. 14-17, the bonding washer is a duplexbonding washer 30. The bonding washer 30 includes an electricallyconductive body 32 formed of a first body portion 34 and a second bodyportion 36 that are joined by one or more breakaway segments 38. Thefirst body portion 34 has a top surface 34 a, a bottom surface 34 b, anaperture 40 for receiving a mounting fastener, e.g., a nut and bolt, andone or more piercing members 42 extending from one of the surfaces ofthe first body portion 34, e.g., the bottom surface 34 b. The secondbody portion 36 has a top surface 36 a, a bottom surface 36 b, anaperture 44 for receiving a mounting fastener, e.g., a nut and bolt, oneor more piercing members 46 extending from one of the surfaces of thesecond body portion 36, e.g., the bottom surface 36 b, and one or moreextended members 48 having a bend 48 a. The extended members 48 aresubstantially similar to the extended members 18 described above and forease of description are not repeated. In the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 14a , the bonding washer 30 is also a duplex bonding washer whichis similar to the bonding washer of FIGS. 14-17 except that the aperture40 is removed from the first body portion 34 so that the first bodyportion 34 has a top surface 34 a, a bottom surface 34 b, and one ormore piercing members 42 extending from one of the surfaces of the firstbody portion 34, e.g., the bottom surface 34 b. The second body portion36 is substantially similar to the second body portion of FIGS. 14-17and for ease of description is not repeated. The extended members 48 aresubstantially similar to the extended members 18 described above and forease of description are not repeated.

The body 32 can be in any shape or size. For example, the body 32 may besubstantially planar with a predefined thickness similar to thickness“T1” described above, which can vary for each bonding washer 30. Thebody 32 is made of a material that provides sufficient structuralrigidity to establish and maintain an electrically conductive pathbetween a wire termination, e.g., wire termination 100, and a structure,e.g., structure 300 seen in FIG. 17. Non-limiting examples of the bodymaterial include stainless steel or other conductive steel, aluminumand/or aluminum alloy. As noted above, the one or more breakawaysegments 38 join the first body portion 34 to the second body portion36. The one or more breakaway segments 38 permit the body 32 to bemodified from a duplex bonding washer to a single bonding washer byarticulating, bending or cutting the body portions until the first bodyportion 34 breaks away from the second body portion 36.

Each piercing member 42 extending from the first body portion 34 of thebonding washer 30 and each piercing member 46 extending from the secondbody portion 36 of the bonding washer 30 forms a tooth-like structure orwhat is sometimes called in the industry a “volcano.” Each piercingmember 42 and 46 is capable of cutting through or piercingnon-conductive coatings 302 b on the structure 300. For example, eachpiercing member 42 and 46 can be a raised surface 42 a or 46 a extendingfrom the respective bottom surface 34 b or 36 b of the respective bodyportions 34 or 36. Such raised surface 42 a or 46 a includes an aperture42 b or 46 b having sharp edges surrounding the aperture 42 b or 46 bthat enables each piercing member 42 or 46 to be capable of cuttingthrough or piercing non-conductive coatings 302 b on the structure 300.Each piercing member 42 or 46 can be a unitary circular or other shapedtooth or structure, similar to the piercing member 16 seen in FIGS. 14and 16, that is capable of cutting through or piercing thenon-conductive coating on the structure. In another exemplaryembodiment, each piercing member 42 and 46 can be a unitary circular orother shaped tooth or structure having a serrated distal edge, which issimilar to the distal edge 17 seen in FIG. 6, that is also capable ofcutting through or piercing the non-conductive coatings 302 b on thestructure 300. The piercing members 42 and 46 can be extruded from thebody 32, or the piercing members 42 and 46 can be secured to therespective body portions 34 and 36 by for example a welded joint. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the piercing members 42 and 46 are alsocapable of limiting and possibly preventing the wire termination 100and/or bonding washer 30 from rotating relative to the structure so asto ensure that the piercing members 42 and 46 pierce or cut through thecoating on the structure 300 to establish or create a sufficientelectrically conductive path between the wire termination 100 and themetal of the structure 300. For example, as the electrical bondingmembers 42 and 46 pierce the coating on the structure 300 to contact andengage the metal surface 302 c of the structure 300, the piercingmembers 42 and 46 partially or entirely burrow into the metal surface302 c of the structure 300 causing the bonding washer 30 to be fixed inposition relative to the structure 300 so as to limit or possiblypreventing rotation of the bonding washer 30 relative to the structure300. While the above described embodiment shows more than one piercingmember 42 extending from the first body portion 34 and more than onepiercing member 46 extending from the second body portion 36, oneskilled in the art would readily recognize the one piercing member 42may be positioned on the first body portion 34 and one piercing member46 may be positioned on the second body portion 36 to pierce thenon-conductive coating 302 b on the mounting portion 302.

In this exemplary embodiment, the one or more piercing members 42 extendfrom the bottom surface 34 b of the first body portion 34 and aredisposed at each corner of the first body portion 34 as shown. However,the piercing members 42 may be disposed, placed or arranged on the firstbody portion 34 in any position suitable to pierce the coating on thestructure 300, and establish and maintain an electrically conductivepath between the piercing members 42 and the structure 300. Similarly,the one or more piercing members 46 extend from the bottom surface 36 bof the second body portion 36 and are disposed at each corner of thesecond body portion 36 as shown. However, the piercing members 46 may bedisposed, placed or arranged on the second body portion 36 in anyposition suitable to pierce the coating on the structure, e.g.,structure 300, and establish and maintain an electrically conductivepath between the piercing members 46 and the structure 300.

Referring to FIG. 17, connecting the bonding washer 30 of the presentdisclosure to a wire termination 100 and structure 300 to establish anelectrically conductive path therebetween will be described. In thisexemplary embodiment, the wire termination 100 is a lug. To establishthe electrically conductive path to facilitate electrical bonding of thestructure 300, an electrical conductor 200 is crimped or otherwisesecured to a barrel of the lug 100 as is known. The blade portion 100 bof the lug 100, which includes two apertures that are similar toaperture 100 a seen in FIG. 7, can receive mounting fasteners, e.g.,nuts and bolts, rivets, etc., used to secure the lug 100 and the bondingwasher 30 to the structure 300. The conductor or wire 200 can be ofdifferent gauges depending upon the anticipated or rated current theelectrically conductive path is to carry. As such, conductors 200 havinga smaller gauge may permit the use of a smaller lug 100, whileconductors 200 having a greater gauge may necessitate the use of alarger lug 100. In this exemplary embodiment, the structure 300 includesa mounting portion 302 on which the bonding washer 30 rests. Themounting portion 302 includes two apertures that are similar to aperture302 a seen in FIG. 7, configured to receive the mounting fasteners usedto secure the lug 100 and bonding washer 30 to the mounting portion 302.As described herein, the metal portion or the electrically conductiveportion 302 c, seen in FIG. 9, of the mounting portion 302 is covered bya coating 302 b.

To secure the wire termination 100, here a lug, and the bonding washer30 to the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300, the bolts 406 arepassed through respective apertures 302 a, seen in FIG. 7, in themounting portion 302, through the respective apertures 40 and 44, seenin FIG. 14, in the body 32 of the bonding washer 30, and through therespective aperture 100 a in the lug 100. The nut 400 is then attachedto the respective bolt 406 and tightened to secure the lug 100 and thebonding washer 30 to the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300, asshown in FIG. 17. In an exemplary embodiment, first washers 402, e.g.,flat washers, and/or second washers 404, e.g., lock washers, can beplaced between the nuts 400 and the lug 100 to provide a betterconnection between the lug 100 and the structure 300. Similar to thatshown in FIG. 9, when the nuts 400 and bolts 406 are tightened, eachpiercing member 42 and 46 cuts through or pierces the non-conductivecoating 302 b on the outer surface of the mounting portion 302 so thatan electrically conductive path is established between the conductivemetal 302 c of the mounting portion 302 and the bonding washer 30. As aresult, an electrically conductive path is also established between theconductive metal 302 c of the of the structure 300 and the lug 100 suchthat current may flow from the structure 300 through the bonding washer30, through the lug 100 to the conductor 200.

In addition, when tightening the nuts 400 to the bolts 406, an edge ofthe lug 100 may contact the extending member 48, as shown in FIG. 16 ofthe bonding washer 30 which then limits or possibly prevents the lug 100and/or bonding washer 30 from rotating relative to the structure 300 soas to ensure that the piercing members 42 and 46 pierce or cut throughthe coating on the structure 300 to establish or create a sufficientelectrically conductive path between the wire termination, here the lug100, and the structure 300 to facilitate electrical bonding of thestructure 300. As discussed previously, the piercing members 42 and 46may also limit and possibly prevent rotation of the bonding washer 30relative to the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300. Morespecifically, as the piercing members 42 and 46 cut through or piercethe non-conductive coating 302 b on the outer surface of the mountingportion 302, the piercing members 42 and 46 partially or entirely burrowinto the conductive metal 302 c causing the bonding washer 30 to befixed in position relative to the structure 300 so as to limit orpossibly prevent rotation of the bonding washer 30 relative to themounting portion 302 of the structure 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 18-20, another exemplary embodiment of a bondingwasher according to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the bonding washer 40 is substantially the same as thebonding washer 30 described above, except that the one or more breakawaysegments differ, and gripping members are added to the top surface ofthe first and second body portions as described below. In this exemplaryembodiment, the one or more breakaway segments 38 includes a groove 39extending along the body 32 between the first body portion 34 and thesecond body portion 36 that can be repeatedly articulated or bent tobreak the first body portion 34 away from the second body portion 36.

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 18-20, the first body portion 34 alsoincludes one or more gripping members 47 extending from the top surface34 a. Similarly, the second body portion 36 includes one or moregripping members 49 extending from the top surface 36 a. Each grippingmember 47 and 49 is capable of cutting into or burrowing into the wiretermination 100 to limit or possibly prevent the wire termination 100and/or the bonding washer 30 from rotating relative to the structure 300so as to ensure that the piercing members 42 and 46 pierce or cutthrough the coating on the structure to establish or create a sufficientelectrically conductive path between the wire termination and thestructure to facilitate electrically bonding the structure. Eachgripping member 47 and 49 may also pierce through any non-conductivecoatings on the wire termination similar to how the piercing members 42and 46 pierce through the non-conductive coatings on the structure. Eachgripping member 47 and 49 can be a unitary circular or other shapedtooth or structure, seen for example in FIGS. 18 and 20, that is capableof capable of cutting into or burrowing into the wire termination 100,and cutting through or piercing the non-conductive coating on the wiretermination 100. In another exemplary embodiment, each gripping member47 and 49 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth or structurehaving a serrated distal edge, similar to the distal edge 17 seen inFIG. 6, that is also capable of cutting into or burrowing into the wiretermination 100 and cutting through or piercing the non-conductivecoating on the wire termination 100. The gripping members 47 and 49 canbe extruded from the body 32, or the gripping members 47 and 49 can besecured to the respective body portion 34 or 36 by for example a weldedjoint. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the gripping members 47 and 49are disposed at each corner of the top surface 34 a or 36 a of therespective body portions 34 and 36. However, the gripping members 47 and49 may be disposed, placed or arranged on the respective body portions34 or 36 in any position suitable to burrow into the wire termination100, e.g., lug, and limit and possibly prevent rotational movement ofthe wire termination 100 and/or bonding washer 40 relative to thestructure 300.

It is noted that in the embodiment shown, the apertures 42 b of thepiercing members 42 are aligned with respective apertures 47 b of thegripping members 47. However, one skilled in the art would readilyappreciate that the apertures 42 b of the piercing members 42 may not bealigned with the apertures 47 b of the gripping members 47. Eachgripping member 47 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth 47 orcomponent having a serrated distal edge similar to the serrated edge 17seen in FIG. 6. Similarly, the apertures 46 b of the piercing members 46are aligned with respective apertures 49 b of the gripping members 49.Each gripping member 49 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth49 or component having a serrated distal edge similar to the serratededge 17 seen in FIG. 6. However, one skilled in the art would readilyappreciate that the apertures 46 b of the piercing members 46 may not bealigned with the apertures 49 b of the gripping members 49.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, connecting the bonding washer 40 of thepresent disclosure to a wire termination 100 and structure 300 toestablish an electrically conductive path therebetween is similar tothat described above for bonding washer 30 and for ease of descriptionis not repeated. However, in this exemplary embodiment, when the nut 400and bolt 406 are tightened, each gripping member 47 and 49 cuts into orburrows into the blade portion 100 b of the wire termination 100 tolimit or possibly prevent the wire termination 100, e.g., the lug,and/or the bonding washer 40 from rotating relative to the structure 300so as to ensure that the piercing members 42 and 46 pierce or cutthrough the coating 302 b on the mounting portion 302 of the structure300 to establish or create a sufficient electrically conductive pathbetween the wire termination 100 and the structure 300 to facilitateelectrically bonding the structure.

Turning now to FIGS. 21-23, another exemplary embodiment of a bondingwasher according to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the bonding washer 50 is configured and dimensioned to workwith smaller wire terminations 100, e.g., smaller lugs. The bondingwasher 50 includes an electrically conductive body 52 having a topsurface 52 a, a bottom surface 52 b, an aperture 54 for receiving amounting fastener, one or more piercing members 56 and an extendedmember 58 having a bend 58 a. The body 52 can be in any shape or size.For example, the body 52 shown in FIG. 21 may be substantially planarwith a predetermined thickness “T2.” The predetermined thickness “T2”depends at least in part on the size of the wire termination 100 and/orthe anticipated or rated current the electrically conductive path is tocarry. As a non-limiting example, the thickness “T2” may be in the rangefrom about 0.125 mm to about 1.0 mm. In an exemplary embodiment, thepredetermined thickness “T2” of the bonding washer 50 may be less thanthe thickness “T1” of the bonding washer 10 described above. Forexample, the predetermined thickness “T2” may be less than half thepredetermined thickness “T1.”

Each piercing member 56 forms a tooth-like structure or what issometimes called in the industry a “volcano.” Each piercing member 56 iscapable of cutting through or piercing non-conductive coatings 302 b onthe structure 300. For example, the piercing member 56 can be a raisedsurface 56 a extending from the bottom surface 52 b of the body 52. Suchraised surface 56 a includes an aperture 56 b having sharp edgessurrounding the aperture 56 b that enables each piercing member 56 to becapable of cutting through or piercing non-conductive coatings 302 b onthe structure 300. Each piercing member 56 can be a unitary circular orother shaped tooth or structure, seen for example in FIGS. 21 and 23,that is capable of cutting through or piercing the non-conductivecoating on the structure. In another exemplary embodiment, each piercingmember 56 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth or structurehaving a serrated distal edge similar to distal edge 17, seen in FIG. 6,that is also capable of cutting through or piercing the non-conductivecoatings 302 b on the structure 300. The piercing members 56 can beextruded from the body 52, or the piercing members 56 can be secured tothe body 52 by for example a welded joint. In another exemplaryembodiment, the piercing members 56 are also capable of limiting andpossibly preventing the wire termination 100 and/or bonding washer 50from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensure that thepiercing members 56 pierce or cut through the coating on the structureto establish or create a sufficient electrically conductive path betweenthe wire termination 100 and the metal of the structure 300. Forexample, as the piercing members 56 pierce the coating on the structureto contact and engage the metal surface of the structure 300, thepiercing members 56 partially or entirely burrow into the metal surfaceof the structure 300 causing the bonding washer 50 to be fixed inposition relative to the structure 300 so as to limit or possiblypreventing rotation of the bonding washer 50 relative to the structure300. In this exemplary embodiment, the one or more piercing members 56are disposed around the aperture 54 and extend from the bottom surface52 b of the body 52. However, the piercing members 56 may be disposed,placed or arranged on the body 52 in any position suitable to pierce thecoating on the structure, e.g., structure 300, and establish andmaintain an electrically conductive path between the piercing members 56and the structure 300.

In addition, with the predetermined thickness “T2” of the body 52 beingthinner than the predetermined thickness “T1” of for example body 12 ofbonding washer 10, it may be advantageous to include a greater number ofpiercing members 56 on the body 52. Having a greater number of piercingmembers 56 ensures the bonding washer 50 established a sufficient numberof electrically conductive paths between the bonding washer 50 and thestructure 300 in the event the thinner body 52 slightly flexes by theforce applied by the mounting fastener when securing the wiretermination and bonding washer 50 to the structure 300. In other words,when the wire termination 100 and bonding washer 50 are secured to thestructure 300, the force applied by the mounting fastener and wiretermination 100 to the bonding washer 50 is more evenly distributed tothe larger number of piercing members 56 creating a sufficient number ofelectrically conductive paths between the bonding washer 50 and thestructure, e.g., structure 300.

The extending member 58 extends from at least one end of the body 52 andis provided to limit and possibly prevent rotation of the wiretermination 100, e.g., lug seen in FIG. 22, and/or the bonding washer 50relative to the structure 300 when securing the wire termination 100 andbonding washer 50 to the structure 300. Limiting the rotation of thewire termination and/or the bonding washer 50 relative to the structure300 helps to ensure that the piercing members 56 pierce or cut throughthe coating on the structure 300 to establish or create a sufficientelectrically conductive path between the wire termination 100 and thestructure to electrically bond the structure 300. In one embodiment, theextended member 18 extends outward from the body 52 in a direction thatis substantially opposite from the direction the piercing members 56extend from the body 52. The extended member 58 may be any shape orsize. For example, the extended member 18 may be substantiallyrectangular in shape. The extended member 58 can have a height “H” seenin FIG. 21, which is the length that extended member 58 extends awayfrom the body 52. As a non-limiting example, the height “H” may be equalto or greater than the thickness “T2” of the body 52. The extendedmember 58 can be integrally or monolithically formed to the body 52, orthe extended member 58 can be secured to the body 52 by for example awelded joint. The extended member 58 may include a bend 58 a. As seen inFIG. 21, the bend angle “α” of the bend 58 a may be in the range ofabout 30 degrees and about 90 degrees, but other bend angle may be used.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, connecting the bonding washer 50 of thepresent disclosure to a wire termination 100 and structure 300 toestablish an electrically conductive path therebetween will bedescribed. In this exemplary embodiment, the wire termination 100 is alug. To establish the electrically conductive path to facilitateelectrically bonding of the structure 300, an electrical conductor 200is crimped or otherwise secured to a barrel of the lug 100 as is known.The blade portion 100 b of the lug 100, which includes an aperture 100 aconfigured to receive a mounting fastener, e.g., nut and bolt, rivets,etc., used to secure the lug 100 and the bonding washer 50 to thestructure 300. As noted, the conductor or wire 200 can be of differentgauges depending upon the anticipated or rated current the electricallyconductive path is to carry. As such, conductors 200 having a smallergauge may permit the use of a smaller lug 100, while conductors 200having a greater gauge may necessitate the use of a larger lug 100. Inthis exemplary embodiment, the structure 300 includes a mounting portion302 on which the bonding washer 50 rests. The mounting portion 302includes an aperture 302 a to receive a mounting fastener, e.g., nut andbolt, rivets, etc., used to secure the lug 100 and bonding washer 50 tothe mounting portion 302. The metal portion or the electricallyconductive portion 302 c of the mounting portion 302 of the structure300 is covered by a non-conductive coating 302 b.

To secure the lug 100 and the bonding washer 50 to the mounting portion302 of the structure 300, a bolt 406 is passed through the aperture 302a in the mounting portion 302, through the aperture 54 in the body 52 ofthe bonding washer 50, and through the aperture 100 a in the lug 100. Anut 400 is then attached to the bolt 406 and tightened to secure the lug100 and the bonding washer 50 to the mounting portion 302 of thestructure 300, as shown in FIG. 22. In an exemplary embodiment, a firstwasher 402, e.g., a flat washer, and/or a second washer 404, e.g., alock washer, can be placed between the nut 400 and the lug 100 toprovide a better connection between the lug 100 and the structure 300.As shown in FIG. 23, when the nut 400 and bolt 406 are tightened, eachpiercing member 56 cuts through or pierces the non-conductive coating302 b on the outer surface of the mounting portion 302 so that anelectrically conductive path is established between the conductive metal302 c of the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300 and the bondingwasher 50. As a result, an electrically conductive path is alsoestablished between the conductive metal 302 c of the mounting portion302 and the lug 100 such that current may flow from the structure 300through the bonding washer 50, through the lug 100 to the conductor 200.

As noted above, when tightening the nut 400 to the bolt 406, an edge ofthe lug 100 may contact the extending member 58 of the bonding washer 50which then limits or possibly prevents the lug 100 and/or bonding washer50 from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensure that thepiercing members 56 pierce or cut through the coating 302 b on thestructure 300 to establish or create a sufficient electricallyconductive path between the wire termination 100, here the lug, and thestructure 300. As discussed previously, the piercing members 56 may alsolimit and possibly prevent rotation of the bonding washer 50 relative tothe mounting portion 302 of the structure 300. More specifically, as thepiercing members 56 cut through or pierce the non-conductive coating 302b on the outer surface of the mounting portion 302, the piercing members56 partially or entirely burrow into the conductive metal 302 c causingthe bonding washer 50 to be fixed in position relative to the structure300 so as to limit or possibly prevent rotation of the bonding washer 50relative to the mounting portion 302 of the structure 300.

Referring now to FIGS. 24-26, another exemplary embodiment of a bondingwasher according to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplaryembodiment, the bonding washer 60 is substantially the same as thebonding washer 50 described above, except that gripping members areadded to the top surface 52 a of the body 52 as described below. Morespecifically, the body portion 52 includes one or more gripping members57 extending from the top surface 52 a. Each gripping member 57 iscapable of cutting into or burrowing into the wire termination 100 tolimit or possibly prevent the wire termination 100 and/or the bondingwasher 60 from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensurethat the piercing members 56 pierce or cut through the coating on thestructure 300 to establish or create a sufficient electricallyconductive path between the wire termination 100 and the structure 300to facilitate electrically bonding the structure 300. Each grippingmember 57 may also pierce through any non-conductive coatings on thewire termination 100 similar to how the piercing members 56 piercethrough the non-conductive coatings 302 b on the structure 300. Eachgripping member 57 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth orstructure, seen for example in FIGS. 24 and 26, that is capable ofcapable of cutting into or burrowing into the wire termination 100, andcutting through or piercing the non-conductive coating on the wiretermination 100. In another exemplary embodiment, each gripping member57 can be a unitary circular or other shaped tooth 57 a or structurehaving a serrated distal edge, similar to the distal edge 17 seen inFIG. 6, that is also capable of capable of cutting into or burrowinginto the wire termination 100 and cutting through or piercing thenon-conductive coating on the wire termination 100. The gripping members57 can be extruded from the body 52, or the gripping members 57 can besecured to the body 52 by for example a welded joint. It is noted thatin the embodiment shown, the apertures 56 b of the piercing members 56are aligned with respective apertures 57 b of the gripping members 57.However, one skilled in the art would readily appreciate that theapertures 56 b of the piercing members 56 may not be aligned with theapertures 57 b of the gripping members 57. In the exemplary embodimentshown, the gripping members 57 are disposed around the aperture 54 inthe body 52. However, the gripping members 57 may be disposed, placed orarranged on the body 52 in any position suitable to burrow into the wiretermination 100, e.g., lug and limit and possibly prevent rotationalmovement of the wire termination 100 and/or bonding washer 60 relativeto the structure.

Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26, connecting the bonding washer 60 of thepresent disclosure to a wire termination 100 and structure 300 toestablish an electrically conductive path therebetween is similar tothat described above for bonding washer 50 and for ease of descriptionis not repeated. However, in this exemplary embodiment, when the nut 400and bolt 406 are tightened, each gripping member 57 cuts into or burrowsinto the blade portion 100 b of the lug 100 to limit or possibly preventthe wire termination, e.g., the lug 100, and/or the bonding washer 60from rotating relative to the structure 300 so as to ensure that thepiercing members 56 pierce or cut through the coating 302 b on themounting portion 302 of the structure 300 to establish or create asufficient electrically conductive path between the wire termination 100and the structure 300 to facilitate electrically bonding the structure300.

While illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have beendescribed and illustrated above, it should be understood that these areexemplary of the disclosure and are not to be considered as limiting.Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be considered as limitedby the foregoing description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bonding washer comprising: an electricallyconductive body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a fastenerreceiving member for receiving a mounting fastener; at least oneelectrically conductive piercing member integral with the body andextending from the bottom surface of the body; and at least one extendedmember extending from the body in a direction opposite the at least onepiercing member.
 2. The bonding washer according to claim 1, wherein thebody is substantially planar.
 3. The bonding washer according to claim1, wherein the at least one extended member extends from one end of theelectrically conductive body.
 4. The bonding washer according to claim1, wherein the at least one extended member comprises two extendedmembers, and wherein one extended member extends from one end of theelectrically conductive body and the other extended member extends fromanother end of the electrically conductive body.
 5. The bonding washeraccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one extended member preventsrotation of a wire termination relative to a structure when securing thebonding washer to the structure.
 6. The bonding washer according toclaim 1, wherein the at least one piercing member comprises a singletooth.
 7. The bonding washer according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone piercing member comprises a single tooth having a serrated distalend.
 8. The bonding washer according to claim 1, wherein the fastenerreceiving member comprises an aperture.
 9. A bonding washer comprising:an electrically conductive body having a top surface and a bottomsurface; a plurality of electrically conductive piercing membersextending from the bottom surface of the body; a plurality of grippingmembers extending from the top surface of the body; and at least oneextended member extending from the electrically conductive body in adirection opposite the piercing members.
 10. The bonding washeraccording to claim 9, wherein the electrically conductive body issubstantially planar.
 11. The bonding washer according to claim 9,wherein the at least one extended member extends from one end of theelectrically conductive body.
 12. The bonding washer according to claim9, wherein the at least one extended member comprises two extendedmembers, and wherein one extended member extends from one end of theelectrically conductive body and the other extended member extends fromanother end of the electrically conductive body.
 13. The bonding washeraccording to claim 9, wherein the extended member prevents rotation of awire termination relative to a structure when securing the bondingwasher to the structure.
 14. The bonding washer according to claim 9,wherein each of the plurality of piercing members comprises a singletooth.
 15. The bonding washer according to claim 9, wherein each of theplurality of piercing members comprises a single tooth having a serrateddistal end.
 16. The bonding washer according to claim 9, furthercomprising a fastener receiving member for receiving a mountingfastener.
 17. A bonding washer comprising: an electrically conductivebody having a top surface, a bottom surface, an aperture for receiving amounting fastener, and a plurality of piercing members extending fromthe bottom surface of the body; and at least one extended memberextending from the electrically conductive body in a direction oppositethe piercing members.
 18. The bonding washer according to claim 17,wherein the electrically conductive body is substantially planar. 19.The bonding washer according to claim 17, wherein the at least oneextended member extends from one end of the electrically conductivebody.
 20. The bonding washer according to claim 17, wherein the at leastone extended member comprises two extended members, and wherein oneextended member extends from one end of the electrically conductive bodyand the other extended member extends from another end of theelectrically conductive body.
 21. The bonding washer according to claim17, wherein the extended member prevents rotation of a wire terminationrelative to a structure when securing the bonding washer to thestructure.
 22. The bonding washer according to claim 17, wherein each ofthe plurality of piercing members comprises a single tooth.
 23. Thebonding washer according to claim 17, wherein each of the plurality ofpiercing member comprises a single tooth having a serrated distal end.